


This Thing Of Ours

by FicNewtons



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Mob, Assassin Megaera, Assassin Thanatos, College, College Student Zagreus, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Medium Burn, Multi, mob boss Hades
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:21:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27728695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FicNewtons/pseuds/FicNewtons
Summary: Powerful organized crime boss Hades knows his son, Zagreus, is using his impending departure for college as an opportunity to escape from his family. To ensure that his heir returns to him, he hires two renowned mercenaries from the family, Than and Meg, to disguise themselves as students and accompany him, ensuring that he stays safe and—more importantly—that he can’t leave.But, determined to thwart his father’s control as always, Zagreus has other plans.
Relationships: Megaera/Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Megaera/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1

“Your father is ready for you, Prince.”

Zagreus blinked as the high-pitched secretary stood before him, tightly gripping a manila folder in both hands. He could see the tension in her fingers, the tendons in her hands raised beneath her dark skin. He noticed immediately how she stepped anxiously backward as he stood from the uncomfortably modern chair in his father’s uncomfortably modern waiting room.

“Please don’t call me that, Dusa. You know ‘Zagreus’ is fine,” he said coolly, approaching her.

She ducked out of his way, moving a few of her thick, neat dreadlocks out of her face to tuck them behind her ear as she did. 

“Sorry, Prince. Your father’s order’s…” Zagreus wasn’t sure if she was incapable of making eye contact or if she just chose not to, but he followed her nervous eyes over every inch of the room except where he stood.

Zagreus scoffed. “He thinks he’s the king of this place, but he’s just some… some blowhard with money. I’m no prince and he’s no king.”

Dusa didn’t respond, except to mutter quietly and frantically to herself. 

Zagreus cleared his throat, startling her out of her panicked whispers, though he wore a friendly smile to hopefully ease the tension.

“Call him whatever he says, and when he’s around you can call me Prince, but when he’s not here, I’m just Zagreus. Alright?”

She gestured down the hall, inviting him to go before he could say another word to her—completely on edge, as she always seemed to be when he came by.

He strode down the hall with Dusa trailing just behind him, finding his pace a bit quicker than usual. He’d have been lying to himself if he said he wasn’t full of dread. It was rare to be called on by his father out of the blue like this, and rarer yet for the meeting to be so urgent. He glanced into all of the rooms he passed, which were barely covered by stylish, yet impractical glass walls and doors. As he grew closer to his father’s office, he noticed there was less and less glass, being replaced gradually by clean, varnished wood.

 _Naturally, he’s the only one with a bit of privacy around here,_ Zagreus thought scornfully.

As he approached the final, overly grandiose door, he stopped suddenly, causing Dusa to nearly bump into him. He studied the ornate molding around the door frame, decorated in a much less modern style than the rest of his office, in which everything was square and hard and black or white. The molding, though, was gold and red and seemed as out of place as a fish out of water. It was intricate, depicting all sorts of floral and verdant motifs—laurels, fruit trees, even what looked like pomegranates. It was an honest to God breathtaking piece of craftsmanship, but Zagreus could never help but be put off by its ostentatious over-decoration amid such a painfully minimalistic environment. 

He slowly approached the door, careful not to make a sound, raising his fist to knock.

“Come in, boy.”

Hades’s voice boomed from the other side of the door, sending a chill down Zagreus’s spine. 

_How does he always do that?_ Zagreus wondered.

He turned the knob and stepped in. Hades, his form large and intimidating, sat behind his desk, jotting things down on some documents in front of him, not passing so much as a glance at Zagreus as he made his way into the room.

Zagreus felt a small poke in his back and turned to see Dusa holding out the manila folder to him, which he curiously accepted, though he dared not look inside. As quickly and quietly as she could, she fled from the room, nearly sprinting, shutting the door behind her.

Waiting for his father to say something, Zagreus stood hesitantly in the middle of the room, watching as he ignored him. He passed a curious glance at the folder in his hands, but he knew that peeking inside preemptively would only irritate his father, which would, in turn, irritate Zagreus.

“What are you waiting for? Sit down.” Still, Hades did not so much as look at his son.

“Apologies, Father, I forgot to use my telepathy to read your mind.”

“Don’t you get smart with me, boy,” Hades growled as he scribbled on his papers.

Though he had the urge to offer up another snarky retort, Zagreus thought it best in this case to be quiet and patiently wait for whatever message his father had to give him. He obediently took a seat in the furthest of three chairs from the door.

It wasn’t until another knock came at the door that Hades raised his head from his work.

“Enter,” he commanded.

The door slowly opened. Zagreus was surprised to see a young man, close to his own age, with a silver undercut and a dark jacket enter the room. He was followed by a leather jacket-clad woman, possibly slightly older, with hair dyed a dark, periwinkle blue, who removed and perched her aviator shades atop her head as she made her entrance, exposing two intimidating eyebrow rings to match the ring in her nostril and the four large spikes in her earlobes. The two filed in, greeting Hades respectfully before they sat in the chairs next to Zagreus, who could only watch in confusion. 

“Thank you two for coming today,” Hades said in his deep, perpetually booming roar.

“We’re honored to be able to be here,” the young, unknown man said. His voice was cool and smooth, like icy silver.

“I trust after our last meeting, you are prepared for your new post, yes?” Hades presumed.

“Just say when and where and we’ll be there,” the blue-haired woman said in a low, almost apathetic tone, though Hades seemed to be accustomed to it, as he made no comment.

“Good.”

Finally, for the first time since he’d been there, Hades turned to Zagreus. 

“Your plan is to go to Olympic University, correct?” He perused a paper in front of him, as though reading off of it. “That’s nearly 2000 miles away from here,” he said, instantly making Zagreus nervous.

“That’s correct.” Zagreus spoke a bit softer and with a tinge of caution.

“Mmm.” The noise was the exact opposite of reassuring and Zagreus could feel his heart begin to race.

“What exactly are we here for? Why are you asking?” Zagreus inquired, perhaps a bit overly-eager.

Hades rested his elbows matter-of-factly on the desk, interlacing his fingers in front of his face. He looked at Zagreus from beneath his eyebrows, nearly enshrouding them in shadow. None of this comforted Zagreus.

“You will be attending Cthonic University here in the city instead. In the folder in your hands you will find your student ID and your class schedule. I trust it is similar enough to the schedule you submitted to Olympic. The program is similar enough, and your major hasn’t changed, so you should find it suitable.”

Zagreus, for once, was silent, stunned beyond words. There was hardly a coherent thought in his head as his mind raced.

“That… But that isn’t fair!” he sputtered. “I accepted an offer at Olympic and I’m going! I’m not going to waste my spot there!” he cried, bolting up from his chair.

“Sit down, boy,” Hades commanded. “I took the liberty of withdrawing your acceptance, so there _is_ no spot for you there.”

Eyes wide, Zagreus collapsed into his chair, the wind utterly knocked out of him.

“I didn’t even apply to Cthonic…” Zagreus protested weakly.

“Of course you did,” said Hades, holding up a paper from his desk. “I have a copy of your application right here.”

Zagreus snatched the paper from his hands, scrutinizing the page covered in what was clearly not his handwriting, completely in disbelief.

Ignoring his son’s panicked doubt, Hades retrieved two folders from a drawer in his desk, handing one to each of the two strangers who seemed particularly unbothered and perhaps even a bit annoyed by the ordeal.

“I don’t believe you’ve been introduced yet. This is Than Nixon and Meg Erinyes, Zagreus. They will be accompanying you to the university.”

Another gut punch to Zagreus.

“What are you talking about?”

“No matter how far you think you can get from me, there will always be people looking for you to get to me,” Hades said, though Zagreus was certain he said none of this out of actual compassion for his son. “They are two of our finest trigger men and will be posing as students to protect you. They will know the ins-and-outs of the building and will be vigilantly keeping their eyes on you.”

“You hired two hit men… to… to what? To protect me?”

“They know how to kill discreetly and will make sure that no one else can do the same to you.”

“They’re babysitters.” Zagreus folded his arms.

“Think of them how you will, but they will be expected to be at your side at all times.”

Zagreus was getting worked up now. 

“You’ve already made me wait this long to even _go_ to college, and now not only will I stick out by being older than everyone, but I’ll have two _goons_ stuck to me! That’s _fantastic_ , Father, thank you.”

Hades slammed his fist on the desk, silencing the defiant Zagreus.

“If you would rather not go at all, that can be arranged!” he bellowed

Zagreus’s mouth sealed shut. His blood boiled within him; he fought the urge to shout sarcastic obscenities until his father changed his mind, but he knew it would be futile. So he sat still.

“You will still be permitted to live in the dormitories, but only on the condition that they live with you,” Hades added, though it didn’t do anything to soothe Zagreus’s fury.

“Good luck with that. The chances of us having rooms anywhere near each other are slim. The dorms are so large that—“

“It’s already done. Than will be your roommate and Meg will be across the hall,” Hades said coldly.

Again, Zagreus was stunned to silence. He looked to the assassins sitting next to him.

“You two are just on board with this? From _killing_ _for money_ to babysitting a fully grown adult?” he asked.

“We do as we’re told,” Than answered rather shortly, his eerie blue- grey eyes oddly calm, though beneath them there seemed to be more. They unnerved Zagreus. He didn’t like that he couldn’t read them.

Hades paid no mind to either of them. 

“What’ll it be, boy?” Hades demanded.

Zagreus hesitated, poising himself before he dared utter the words that he would have without prior restraint. He let the heat of anger dissipate a bit from his chest.

“Whatever you say, Father.” He spat the last word as spitefully as he could, as if the title were a curse. 

Hades was unfazed. “Excellent. Classes begin next Thursday. Move-in is Saturday.”

Hades stood abruptly from his desk. Than and Meg stood in respect. Zagreus stayed planted in his seat, watching them from the corner of his eye as they all shook hands, following Hades out. They left the door open behind them, leaving Zagreus with only their quickly disappearing footsteps and the disquieting silence in the ostentatiously large office. 

It took him a few moments to realize how tightly he had been gripping the armrests as he stewed. He willed his body to move, but his mind was so warped with confusion and anger that he simply couldn’t accommodate another bodily function.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat frozen like that, grinding his teeth, but it must have been quite a while before Dusa came in, startled to see him.

“Prince! Erm.. Mr. Zagreus!” she gasped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to be here still.”

“Sorry,” he said, taking a deep breath as he stood. “I didn’t expect to still be here.”

He strode towards the door, trying to ease his own mind so as not to stress out the anxious secretary.

“Um… Can I get you anything? A coffee or a water… maybe?” 

Zagreus let out a large sigh, putting his hands on his hips.

“A new father? Or maybe just a _very_ stiff drink.” he mused, prompting an awkward chuckle from Dusa, who averted her eyes and scuttled away from the door. 

“That’s ok, Dusa. I thought not.” 

He strode down the hall, his thoughts a mess, a headache burgeoning in his temples. When finally the elevator came and he stepped in, his eye was drawn by something as he turned to face the closing door— a very stately portrait on the wall of the looming Hades with his hand clasped heavily on the shoulder of his son Zagreus, a neutrally pleasant smile across the young man’s face.

Zagreus just scoffed as the doors closed.


	2. Chapter 2

It was well into the night, but not even a hint of sleep weighed on Zagreus’s eyelids. He dared not glance at the clock atop his bedside table for fear of the time that had gotten away from him as he sat on the floor, poring over photos, newspaper clippings, and various internet printings. He picked one up, studying it closely.

The woman in the photo, her hair a light, ashen blonde tied into a loose braid over her shoulder, appeared to be in her mid forties. Zagreus studied her intently, the shape of her jaw, the strong, sharp ridge of her nose, her soft, yet prominent chin. Then there were her eyes—striking green, like verdant diamonds.

There was nothing about her that didn’t remind Zagreus of himself. It almost unsettled him to see someone who so intensely resembled himself but whom he had never met. He whispered her name to himself.

_Persephone. Persephone Dimitrios…_

It felt so familiar in his mouth, yet so distant. 

As he glossed over his other collected materials, he came across an article that struck a chord of anger in his chest. He picked it up, his eyes narrowing at the gleaming image of Olympic University’s ostentatiously Neo-Classical main entryway, lined with looming white pillars covered with crawling ivies. The image, which had once filled him with hope, now mocked him from the page. He was tempted to tear it up and throw it in the trash, but he knew that there was still an important clue within the image.

He flipped over the picture to reveal a series of numbers scrawled across the back of the paper in messy, bleeding pen. Zagreus grabbed the phone from his desk and dialed it, hoping that with the time difference, someone _—anyone_ —would be there to answer. He waited through a few rings before being prompted through a menu to enter a direct line. He carefully punched in another number from the page and waited patiently through another few rings, between which the silent space felt infinite. Something clicked on the other end.

“Hello?” Zagreus asked quickly, pausing for a response.

“Thank you for calling the office of Zeus Kronides. We’re sorry we can’t be of service at the moment, but if you’d like to leave a message, please press—“

Zagreus didn’t let the message finish before dropping the phone back into its cradle with a huff. He didn’t need to. He’d heard it a hundred times before. At first it hadn’t seemed all that suspicious to him—university presidents were busy people, he knew, and surely at an institute as prestigious as Olympic University that would be even more true than usual. But to miss 20 calls? At least? That couldn’t be a coincidence. 

He couldn’t help but be discouraged, and finally ready to call it a night, he stacked all his photos and papers together again, stashing them in a single folder to be drawn out and studied ad nauseum later. On the front was written a single word in Zagreus’s surprisingly neat print.

_Mother._

*****

As Zagreus made his way down the street under the blazing sun, he regretted that his hands were full with two rather heavy cardboard boxes stacked atop each other, keeping him from rolling up his sleeves or shielding his eyes. Though he could hardly make out any details with his eyes nearly squinted shut, he knew he was close. He could see a few landmarks that he recognized. Though he’d only passed by it before, he could remember the exterior of the university well—its pillars were old and faded, and though there was a fair bit of greenery on the grounds, it seemed not to flower, and if it did, it never seemed very vibrant. There was always an aura hanging over the grounds. It had always seemed off, but he’d never thought twice about it having not anticipated spending any amount of time there whatsoever, let alone attending classes there. 

He took note of the surrounding area, mentally mapping the restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and any other stores he thought might be useful to him in the future as he got further away from the congested city-center and closer to a quieter part of town. The prospect of living on campus would have been much more exciting to him had he gone to college with everyone else in his class, but at this point, as an adult already living on his own, it was more of a hassle, though he was content to live a bit farther away from his father. In the box in his arms and the bag on his back, he held everything he could have found valuable in his apartment, though there wasn’t much. Knowing who his living companions would be made it fairly easy to ditch the idea of decorating to any noticeable extent, and Zagreus wasn’t even sure that he’d have wanted to anyway. 

His arms and shoulders were beginning to hurt, and it was now that Zagreus was wishing he hadn’t turned down his father’s offer to have his driver take him and his things to the dorms. He was beginning to feel that by taking the bus, he stuck it to himself rather than sticking it to his father. He could feel a bit of sweat forming on his brow, which shouldn’t have been surprising from beneath a hoodie and a denim jacket layered on top of one another. 

He was so caught up in the blissful fantasy of taking off both of his jackets when he got there that he hardly noticed Meg up ahead of him, leaning against a tall, dark column which stood at the forefront of the sprawling grounds of Cthonic University’s welcome center. 

“Hey, Meg.”

She turned her head toward him, and though her eyes were obscured by her sunglasses, he could tell she was staring quite disdainfully at him. Her body language was fairly obvious to him, in the way that she didn’t bother to approach him, or the way she took a puff from the cigarette that she was smoking rather than return his greeting. No acknowledgement whatsoever, really, aside from a spiteful glance.

“Have you moved your things into your room yet?” he asked, though he wasn’t optimistic for an answer.

“Not much to move,” she said, flicking the nub of the cigarette into the street. “Let’s go.”

“Wow, here to babysit already?” Zagreus mused sarcastically. “I’m surprised Father didn’t make you escort me from my house, since he cares so much about my safety.”

Meg scoffed, looking discreetly over his shoulder“If you want to believe that, then fine, but don’t look behind you, because your tail’s on your six.” 

Zagreus turned to see Than, his dark hood pulled over his head, though it didn’t seem to be an attempt at discretion so much as a fashion choice. He strode down the sidewalk, his shoulders back, hands stuffed casually in his pockets. The backpack slung over one shoulder seemed light.

“Great. I should have known,” Zagreus muttered to himself, prompting Meg to scoff again.”

“Good morning, Meg,” he said in his same metallic voice. “Zagreus.”

“Good morning,” Meg returned. “I checked us all in and I have our keys, so we can go straight to our rooms.”

“Hold on a minute,” Zagreus protested. “I want to stop into the welcome center and—“

“I have your key, so you’re following me. The sooner I don’t have to act like some college brat, the better,” she said, making her way for the dormitory.

Zagreus look to Than, though he wasn’t sure what good that would do him.

“I know you’re new here, but you should do what she says,” Than said as he followed after her, leaving Zagreus behind to breathe deeply and convince himself that this was going to be alright.

Though the energy that lingered around the school seemed off, Zagreus couldn’t help but be impressed. The architecture was reminiscent of the Neo-Classical style that Olympic University had promised him, and though it wasn’t quite the same, it did make him feel a bit more open to the school. The grounds were large and open, and as Zagreus had noted before, the foliage unimpressive. Students milled about, parents fretting over them and staff members standing at various points to greet incoming freshmen. 

The trio bypassed all of them, headed directly for a building toward the back corner of the quad. Meg swiped her card to let them in, holding the door for Zagreus, who nodded his thanks as he hefted his box through the doorway, trying not to crush his fingers.

The dorms were large and winding, and Zagreus was certain that he’d be getting lost at least once or twice. Finally, they came to the end of a hallway where Meg stopped in the middle. She pulled three sets of keys from her pocket: one, she handed to Than, one she dropped in Zagreus’s box, only for it to clatter to the bottom, and the third she kept, turning from them to open her own door.

“Let’s meet up later. Than and I have some ground rules we want to discuss,” she said as she opened her door.

“I’ll have you know that I have ground rules of my own,” Zagreus said defiantly, though it was a complete lie.

“We can talk about them later,” Than said, opening their door and ushering him inside.

The walls were white and plain, and despite the relatively large windows on the exterior wall, Zagreus couldn’t help but to feel imprisoned there. There were two beds in the room, each back against an opposing wall with a desk at the foot. He set his things down atop one of the desks, claiming it. He could feel Than’s eyes on him, studying his ever move. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled at the cold disinterest that radiated off of him, despite his apparent inability to look away from Zagreus as he dug through his box and backpack, laying out the things he had brought on the desk.

Finally, Zagreus turned to face him. Than was leaning against the wall with his arms folded, the foot of his unweighted leg resting against the wall as he looked out the window. He would have looked cool to Zagreus if the situation were different, but at the moment, his silence was irritating. He could tell how much Than didn’t want to be there.

“I hope the pay is good, at least,” Zagreus joked, offering a smile.

“What’s it to you?” The look on Than’s face could not have been more aloof.

He was such an enigma to Zagreus. How could he be content to live like this? How could he be dedicated to living with him for at least a year and have absolutely no interest in easing the passing time with conversation? Was Zagreus really destined to live with someone who would remain a complete stranger to him?

“Well clearly you aren’t thrilled about this arrangement. So I just hope my father’s made it worth it for you. That’s all.” 

He’d said it rather innocently, but he couldn’t help but be a bit nosy. As much as he knew that he wouldn’t, Zagreus desperately wanted Than to answer the question.

“You have no idea,” he replied simply.

What could that possibly even mean? With every word Than said, Zagreus became more and more baffled by him, and though those words were few and far between, the confusion was growing exponentially.

Zagreus tried to be quiet. He tried to unpack his things silently while Than brooded, clearly living on some other planet. It was impossible, though. He couldn’t live with the quiet. He didn’t have it in him.

“No posters? Or knick-knacks?” Zagreus questioned.

Than appeared hesitant to even entertain Zagreus’s chatter.

“Figured I’d leave it to you,” he replied.

Zagreus was confused. “Did you really have nothing to bring with you?”

Than sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, already exhausted from the interaction.

“Hmm. Now all I can imagine is you, sitting in an apartment with nothing but a cot and a folding chair,” Zagreus joked, letting himself laugh a bit.

“Well, save yourself some trouble and just don’t imagine me at all, folding chair or otherwise.” 

Than had looked away from him again, making his face hard to read. 

Zagreus didn’t need to see him to know he was annoyed. But Zagreus, too, felt some annoyance bubbling up, and though he tried to stay civil, he couldn’t help himself.

“We’re going to be living together for a while, Than. Don’t you care even a little bit to get to know me? I mean for god’s sake, I feel like I’d rather get to know you than talk like this every day.”

Than dropped his backpack on the floor beside his desk, making his way for the door.

“Let’s agree not to talk at all, then,” Than said as he walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

The walls were decently soundproofed, and though Zagreus strained his ears, he couldn’t hear if Than had gone across the hall to Meg’s room or if he’d left down the hallway. He wasn’t really sure why he cared at all. He was just curious who this person was and how in the hell he’d gotten Zagreus so worked up already. He could hardly believe it. 

He had to wonder why Than was really here. Hades was rich, there was no question about that. But there was something about Than that struck Zagreus as being someone not interested in money. There had to be another reason, but Zagreus couldn’t figure it out, no matter how much he tried. 

He passed the time placing his things about his part of the room, and though there wasn’t much, compared to Than’s side it seemed cluttered. Zagreus didn’t care. He liked it that way. He’d finally gotten into a rhythm of placing things around the room, and it had rid him of his apprehension over Than’s return and its accompanying awkwardness, much to his relief.

He was startled out of his focus when a knock came at the door.

Had Than forgotten his key? Zagreus was all too excited to rub it in his face when he let him in, but as soon as he swung open the door, he was surprised to see a man perhaps in his late thirties or early forties with a strong jaw that disappeared under thick, luxuriously curly blonde hair. The man adjusted his glasses as he looked from Zagreus to a paper in his hands, then back to Zagreus.

“Hello, are you Zagreus Kronides?” the man asked. 

“That’s me,” Zagreus answered.

The man’s face warmed up as he lowered the paper, holding out his hand to shake.

“I’m Achilles, I’ll be your guidance counselor this year. Just making my rounds to meet my new students.”

“Very nice to meet you, Achilles,” Zagreus said, taking his hand firmly. 

“I hope I haven’t come at a bad time,” Achilles said, gesturing to Zagreus’s box and bag in mid-unpack. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I just wanted to drop off my contact information for you.”

He pulled a card from his pocket, handing it to Zagreus who gratefully accepted.

“My office location and hours are on there as well as my phone number. If you need anything before classes start, please feel free to reach out to me. If I can’t help you, I can point you to someone who can.”

His voice was gentle and metered. It was almost soothing, and Zagreus felt reassured by it.

“Thank you, I’m sure I will,” Zagreus said with a laugh. “Not exactly sure what I’m doing.”

“That’s alright, lad. No one is.” He stuck his hand in his pocket, giving Zagreus a friendly wave. “I’ll let you get back to it. It was nice to meet you Zagreus. Looking forward to the semester.”

“Same here, sir. Thank you.”

Zagreus returned to his unpacking without giving the card a second glance. He fully intended to look at it later, maybe get some questions about this place answered, but for now, he stashed it in the top drawer of his desk while he attended to the rest of his things.

He savored the quiet, which was quite unlike him. He knew, though, that for now, if he was going to get along with his new roommate, he should start practicing.

*****

For the next few days, Zagreus had kept mostly to himself. In the mornings, he would wake to find Than sitting on his bed with a book in hand, which, despite his curiosity, Zagreus never asked about. A few times, Zagreus had ventured to invite him and Meg to breakfast, but he quickly learned not to do that if he didn’t want to be rebuffed.

He mainly kept to his desk if he was in the room, though Than was frequently out. He busied himself with pre-course work for a couple of his classes, which he was sure Meg and Than wouldn’t bother to complete. When Than was in the room, he’d keep to his own side of the room, reading his book or laying atop his sheets with headphones over his ears. Sometimes he sat at his own desk working on his laptop, though Zagreus dared not try to peek to find out what he was doing.

After those first few days, Zagreus had decided that enough was enough. He woke up on Tuesday, rolling over to see Than already sitting at the desk, typing on his computer, though he paid no mind to Zagreus. He could tell it was early, peering up at the clock on the wall to see that it was only eight. Before he swung his legs off the floor, he’d already made up his mind. Today, Than and Meg were going to be his friends.

He made his way over to the cafe on campus, finding it quite busy. He stood in line for what felt like an eternity before ordering three pastries and three coffees, then standing in yet another line for what felt like another eternity before picking them up. It was nearly 8:45 by the time he returned to the dorm.

He knocked on Meg’s door gently, hoping she wasn’t asleep. The door opened and there was Meg, her blue hair, usually pulling up into a high ponytail, now rested down over her shoulders, hanging around her face and down her back. It was much longer than Zagreus had thought. Her pajama pants were a dark blue, the top covered by an oversized T-shirt with some graphic Zagreus didn’t recognize on the front. Her brown eyes were alert and open, which Zagreus hoped meant that she hadn’t been woken by his knock. She looked pretty, he thought, for it being so early.

“Good morning, Meg,” Zagreus said, holding out a coffee cup and a pastry. “I brought breakfast.”

Meg hesitantly accepted, eyeing the contents of the bag.

“Did you poison this?” she asked.

Zagreus laughed, though he couldn’t quite tell whether or not she was actually joking.

“You got me. Guess it’s going to be much harder to get rid of you,” he mused.

Meg huffed out a soft laugh. “Thanks.”

Zagreus felt a bit bolder. “If you want to join us, there’s space in our room.”

“I’m busy,” she said abruptly, already closing the door. “But I’ll see you around.” 

She shut the door before Zagreus could protest.

 _Well. It’s a start…_ he thought as he returned to his own room.

Than was still planted in his same space at his computer. Zagreus put Than’s pastry and coffee on the corner of his desk before sitting down at his. Than froze momentarily, staring at the offering. 

“What’s this?” he asked.

“You were up early, I thought you might be hungry,” Zagreus said, sipping on his own coffee. “Maybe a little caffeine will perk you up.”

Than returned to the computer, ignoring the offering. 

“I don’t drink coffee,” he said as he typed away.

“Well it’s your loss,” Zagreus answered sardonically. “The coffee here is terrible and you’re really missing out.”

He punctuated his joke with another sip, exaggerated with a refreshed sigh as he pulled some pre-course work from his backpack and laid it out on the desk, getting to work. The entire time he sat working on his assignment, he didn’t see Than touch his coffee or pastry once. In fact, the first time Zagreus saw him pick them up was when he made his way across the room to throw them both in the trash can, perfectly aware of Zagreus’s eyes on him as he did. He strode back to his desk and shut his laptop, putting it back in his backpack before throwing on his shoes and jacket and leaving.

Zagreus gritted his teeth. What the hell was this guy’s problem? Zagreus thought as hard as he could, but he couldn’t remember doing anything wrong to him. He’d only just met him less than a week ago, and already it was like they’d been enemies from birth. He just couldn’t wrap his head around it.

He eyed Than’s backpack leaning against the wall, his laptop stowed inside. He fought with himself, knowing that he was above snooping. But the curiosity burned in his brain like a pyre, consuming everything else. It nearly consumed his common sense, but he quickly extinguished it. Reality took over again, and he realized that the risks of being caught outweighed the satisfaction of knowing what the hell it was that Than was working on.

The desire to know never completely subsided, though Zagreus did manage to return a majority of his attention to his pre-course work, though he frequently found himself distracted. 

Maybe someday, Zagreus would have the courage to just ask.

He knew that there was no way that would ever be possible, though, if he didn’t get them to like him first. There had to be some way to make them get along, though considering Than’s consistently brusque attitude, he wasn’t exactly sure what that could be. Unless…

A thought occurred to Zagreus. It was a shot in the dark, but he could see no other option. 

Before he could think it entirely through, he’d thrown on his shoes and slid his denim jacket over his hoodie and set out the door with what was probably his most ridiculous amount of determination for something so utterly dumb.

As far as he was concerned, though, it was foolproof.

*****

It was late. The time had gotten away from Than and Meg as they chatted in her room. It was bigger than Than and Zag’s owing to its lack of a second bed. In theory, Meg was _supposed_ to have a roommate, just as everyone else did. It was anyone’s guess what she’d said to the assistants at check-in to have whoever was slated to stay with her moved to a different room and the bed removed completely, but it could be reasonably assumed that it wasn’t very nice. Than sat cross-legged on Meg’s bed while she sat on a black futon against the opposite wall. It was anyone’s guess where she’d gotten the futon, but it wouldn’t be entirely incorrect to say that it wasn’t hers originally.

Both fell silent in surprise when a knock came at the door and even more surprised when Zagreus barged in, slamming a bottle of orange liquor down on the desk with three plastic cups he’d taken from the dining hall downstairs. The label on the bottle said in elegant cold script _Nectar,_ a famously delicious brand of excessively alcoholic peach schnapps that was known for its sweet flavor and comparatively low alcohol-flavored burn.

“Alright, you two. Classes start tomorrow and we’ve barely said ten words to one another. Now, you’re going to split this bottle with me and I’m not going to take no for an answer. Understood?” Zagreus said as he poured some for each of them.

Meg huffed a laugh, accepting a cup from Zagreus while Than appeared more annoyed, begrudgingly taking the cup that was handed to him.

“Who drinks schnapps straight?” Than asked.

“You taste it and then tell me.”

Zagreus pulled the chair from the desk between them, leaning back comfortably as he took a sip of the sweet liquid. Meg’s rose an eyebrow as she sipped hers.

“Not bad,” she commented.

Than studied the liquid in the cup, though he didn’t seem particularly interested in drinking it. He raised his eyes from the glass to see Meg and Zagreus watching him.

“Don’t you two have anything better to look at?” he asked.

Zagreus opened his mouth to make a snarky retort, though luckily for him, Meg was quicker on the draw.

“Come on, Than. Relax a little,” she said, taking another sip. 

Than rolled his eyes and took a sip. “Happy?”

“Very,” Zagreus answered.

Than hardly looked at him, folding his arms over his chest, careful not to spill his drink.

“Where did you find this stuff?” Meg asked. “I thought it was hard to find.”

“It is,” Zagreus said, drawing a hearty drink. “I went to eight liquor stores and five different convenience stores before I found it.”

“All that effort just for us?” she inquired, skeptical. 

“Whatever it takes for my new friends.” Zagreus grinned. 

Than scoffed, though he did take another drink. 

“Don’t mind him,” Meg said. “He’s just—“

“Don’t say anything to him,” Than snapped. “I’m right here. If I wanted to talk about myself, then I would.”

Zagreus could see Meg’s jaw clamp shut. He could tell that she wanted to be more vocal, but was holding back. 

He waited for the tension to ease, but the energy in the room was completely thrown off now, and they all sat quietly. The silence was harrowing. Zagreus cocked his head curiously, turning to his glorified babysitter, desperate.

“Than. That’s an odd name. Is it short for something?”

“It’s none of your business,” Than answered coldly.

“Hmm. That’s an even stranger name,” Zagreus replied unfazed, scratching his chin performatively. “And you?” he asked, turning to Meg.

“I’m just Meg,” she replied.

“Well, Just Meg, it’s very nice to meet you. Still, bit of a strange name.”

“Coming from someone named ‘Zagreus,’ I somehow don’t think there’s room for criticism.” Her eyebrows never unfurrowed.

Zagreus watched her, raising an eyebrow. A smile crept up on the corner of his mouth.

“I think I’m going to like you.” Zagreus chuckled. “Jury’s still out on him, though.”

“I don’t know how I’ll sleep at night knowing you don’t like me,” Than said sarcastically.

Zagreus burst out with a belly laugh, and for a moment, he thought he saw a smirk perk up the corner of Than’s mouth, even if only for a second, though it quickly disappeared back to his usual, irritated expression. 

Than clearly had not anticipated he’d get such a reaction out of Zagreus and his microscopic change in demeanor had been completely unintended. The small, fleeting change gave Zagreus hope.

Zagreus took a long, finishing sip from his cup, quickly standing to pour himself another.

“Guys, classes start tomorrow and if you make me finish the whole bottle myself, I’m not going to survive.”

There was a beat, Meg and Than looking to each other to gauge the situation. Meg was the first to kill her cup and offer it up for a refill. Than hesitated, but begrudgingly followed suit.

Zagreus felt pretty damn pleased with himself as he handed their cups back, fuller than his initial pour. If he was being honest, he didn’t exactly want to drink this much before the first day, but he’d become desperate, unable to stand another moment of awkward silence with Than in their room, though he was pretty sure he was being a bit overly optimistic with his idea of the outcome for this. But for now, he was content to sit back and see where the night took them.

“So,” Meg started. “Why did you want to go to school anyway, Zagreus?”

Zagreus’s mind immediately went to his folder of photos, which was now carefully tucked away in a zippered compartment in his backpack.

“Oh, you know. Just wanted to make my way in the world for once.”

It wasn’t entirely untrue, though he thought it smart to keep his other plans to himself.

“Surely your father could’ve gotten you a good job, why bother?” she followed up.

Zagreus took a sip from his cup. “I don’t really want to work for my father. Or anyone who knows him, for that matter.”

Zagreus noticed Than’s eyes dart to the side, clearly an attempt to keep from fully rolling them. He thought to prod him about it, but it seemed to just be something he’d have to get used to if he was going to build a bridge between them somehow. Better not to antagonize him. Yet.

“Why do you two want to work for my father anyway?” Zagreus leaned back casually in his seat. “Surely there are better people to work for, even in your line of work.”

Meg scoffed. “No offense, Zagreus, but I don’t think you know much about our line of work.”

She wasn’t wrong. When he thought about it, he really didn’t. But how does one even begin to broach the subject?

“You’re right. I don’t.” He raised his cup to his mouth, anxiously tapping the rim against his lower lip. “I try not to be too involved in my father’s business.”

Zagreus was surprised to hear Than speak up.

“Why not?”

The question caught Zagreus off guard. “Well… I suppose I don’t care for it. I never wanted to be part of that lifestyle.”

Than turned from him, retreating back into his seeming disinterest. “You’re lucky, then, that you have the option to just walk away.”

There was bitterness in his voice. Zagreus could hear it immediately, though he could tell that Than hadn’t intended to put so much feeling into it. But he had, and it was thick with venom. He debated following up, but quickly decided against it for fear of turning the night sour. 

“Well, we’re all here now. Even if you two are only being paid to be here, it should be an interesting time, right?” Zagreus asked, trying to inject some lightheartedness back into the conversation.

“We’ll see,” Meg answered, though her eyes went to Than.

“We surely will,” Than added. That was the last time he spoke for the rest of the evening.

Things did lighten up a bit after a while, and the casual banter that Zagreus and Meg seemed to develop gave Zagreus hope for the year. They chatted about current events and politics and laughed, and only occasionally tried to prompt Than into joining the conversation, which he always declined in one way or another, though he did continue to drink with them, much to Zagreus’s surprise. When they’d emptied the bottle, Than excused himself, leaving Meg and Zagreus to talk. 

Zagreus thought to ask, but Meg seemed to sense it before he could open his mouth.

“Please don’t ask about him,” she said, finishing the last of what was in her cup before setting it down. “He wouldn’t want me to talk about him to you.”

_Why?_

He could think of a few possible answers, but dared not jump to any conclusions. Than was hard enough to read as it was, and he knew that clouding his judgement with assumptions would only set him back. But still, he couldn’t help but wonder. He had a feeling in his gut that he wouldn’t like the answer, and part of him thought that it may be easier to simply ignore it, but some part of him just wouldn’t let it go.

Zagreus kicked his feet up onto the bed frame. “Is he always like this?”

Meg sighed. “No. He’s not. Just… cut him some slack. That’s all I’ll say.”

“I’m just… not used to people like that.” Zagreus leaned back in his chair, chewing on the inside of his lip. “People who hate me for no reason.”

“You have your father to thank for that.”

Zagreus perked up. “Is that what this is? Does he think I’m some stuck up rich kid who’s hid behind his father all his life?”

“It’s not like that. It’s complicated, Zag.”

They both let the quiet hang in the air for a moment.

“He’ll warm up eventually. Just give him time. Now that’s really all I’ll say about the matter,” Meg said. Zagreus was certain she meant it this time.

He did feel a bit more satisfied after all was said and done, Meg’s words having lent credence to some of his theories about Than. With no more desire to beat around the bush, Zagreus stood, returning his chair to its place at the desk.

“Thank you for the Nectar,” Meg said. “And for all the trouble you went to to get it.”

“Ah.” Zagreus waved her off. “I exaggerated a bit. I only went to six liquor stores and four convenience stores.”

She chuckled and Zagreus opened the door.

“Thank you for sharing it with me,” he said.

“You’re welcome. Goodnight, Zagreus.”

“Goodnight, Meg.”

As he entered his own room, the energy was completely different—cold, stifling. Than was already in bed, his black sheets pulled up to his ears, turned toward the wall. Zagreus was quiet changing and getting into bed, tiptoeing around, careful to make as little noise as possible.

When finally settled, he closed his eyes, though the room had begun to spin around him a bit. He tried his best to get comfortable, testing out a myriad of positions until he finally resigned to just stare at the ceiling and ride it out. Despite the foggy, spinny state of his brain, he found himself close to sleep quickly, just about to drift off.

“Thank you,” Than said, ripping Zagreus back from the edge of sleep.

Zag looked over. Than was unmoved, still facing the wall, and though his initial inclination was to ask “For what?” or jokingly say “You’re drunk, Than,” he simply replied, “You’re welcome.”

“Good night,” Than said. 

“Good night.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! Stay tuned for the coming chapters :)
> 
> You can follow me on Twitter @ficnewtons for art and story updates, including art to accompany this fic :D


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